Target-thrower.



W. B. BARTON.

TARGET THROWER.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, I9l5.

L16fifi Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

arise. and" t WILLARD B. BARTON, 0F PORTLAND, MhINE, ASSIGNOR TQTHE MARLIN FIREARTTIS COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A. CORPOMTION OF CONNECTICUT.

TARGET-THROWER.

icence.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 17, 1915. Serial No. 40,363.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD B- DARTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Portland, Cumberland county, State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Target-Thrower, of which the fol-' lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to target throwers, or clay pigeon traps, and the object is to provide a simple and efiective hand operable device whereby clay pigeons or similar targets may be successfully thrown by hand.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the trap in one of its preferred forms. Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a front view of a modification. Fig. 5 is a perspective view thereof. Fig. 6 is a view of the entire device on a reduced scale.

1 is arelatively long handle which may be made of wood and is somewhat flexible,

. the butt end of the handle being suitably shaped to afiord an appropriate grip for the v which the target holding arms are so designed that the target may be introduced saucer-shaped device, which, if thrown.

through the air and given a rotary action, scales like a clam shell. The aforesaid arms are specially constructed so that the target may be placed between them and located close to the outer end of the handle 1, so that as the handle is swung through the air, the target will be expelled from" between the arms by centrifugal force. One of the arms is likewise so constructed. that as the targetis expelled it is-given a whirling motion on its own axis.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the target receiving arms are indicated at 23, and are each formed on an S shapedcurve, and each comprise two spaced bars forming between them a groove of less width than the thicknessof the target, so that the edge of the target will run therein. These arms may each be made of a length of wire doubled intermediate its length and bent to approximately the shape indicated, the two ends of the wire being firmly secured to the end of the handle which may be provided with a metallic head or socket piece 4. in which the wire ends are firmly anchored. One of the arms, for example 2, is somewhat longer than the other as shown, and is provided with a suitable v friction surface which serves, when the target ,isjbeing expelled, to cause thetarget to cling thereto while running free on the other arm, thus imparting a rapid rotating movement to the target so that it will take a proper flight through the air. The inner ratentea nee. M, rain.

tracted throat. As the handle is powerfully swung it is given a sort of snapping motion at the end. of the swing, whereupon the longer arm 2 yields suficiently to let the target escape from the embrace of said armsand take its flight. Any suitable means may be employed to provide thefriction surface aforesaid; for example, the wire of the arm '2 may be covered with a thin rubber tube as indicated in section.

In Fig. 4- I have shown a modification 1n between them from the, rear, that is to say, near the head 4. For this purpose I bulge out one of each of the side bars of each arm, as indicated at 6-6, so that the target may be inserted between said bulges. The other bar of each armis; preferably drawn in as indicated 'at 77 to form a seat for the target. The-operation of the modified device shown in Fig. 4 is the same as the operation of the device first described.

If desired, a loop 8, preferably of elastic,

may be secured to the handle 1, so that the target thrower may be secured to the body by passing the strap over the head and shoulder. in which event the shooter holdlng 'the gun in his left hand, can throw a target by means of the hand trap with his right hand, and then dropping the trap mav clasp the gun with both hands and aim and shoot the flying target.

In each instance it will be observed the arms are of substantially greater length than the diameter of the target to be used therewith,so that each arm furnishes in effect, a. track along which the target Wlll run for a considerable distance before escaping, so as to secure the necessary whirling mo- 'tion. It will be-..observed, likewise, that v these tracks formed by the side arms are in a plane substantially coincident with the axis of the handle.

What I claim is:

1. A hand operated target throwing device comprising a handle, two target receiving arms projecting longitudinally therefrom at the outer end, said arms being shaped to hold a target flatwise and providing a relatively long track to guide the same outwardly in a plane substantially coinciding with the axis of the handle, said track being yielding throughout that part traversed bysaid target.

2. A hand operated target throwing de vice comprising a handle, two curved target receiving arms projecting longitudinally therefrom at the outer end, said arms being shaped to hold a target flatwise and providing a relatively long track to guide the same outwardly in a plane substantially coincidingwith the axis of the handle, said track being yielding throughout its length.

3. A hand operated target throwing device comprising a handle, two yielding target receivingarms projecting longitudinally therefrom at the outer end, said arms being shaped to hold a target flatwise and providing a relatively long track to guide the same outwardly in a plane substantially coinciding with the axis of the handle, with means to impart a rotating movement to the target as it travels outwardly between .said arms, said means comprising a surface on one of said arms arranged to frictionally retard the escape of the target from between the arms.

4. A hand operated target throwing device comprising a handle, two yielding target receiving arms projecting longitudinally therefrom at the outer end, said arms being shaped to hold a target flatwise and providing a relatively long track to guide the same outwardly in a plane substantially coinciding with the axis of the handle, with means to impart a rotating movement to the target as it travels outwardly between said arms, said means comprising a surface on one of said arms arranged to frictionally retard the escape of the target from between the arms, said friction means comprising a rubber-like covering for said arm arranged to engage the target near one edge.

5. A hand operated target throwing device comprising a handle, two target receiving arms projecting longitudinally therefrom at the outer end, said arms being shaped to hold a target fiatwise and providing a relatively long track to guide the same outwardly in a plane substantially coinciding with the axis of the handle, with means to impart a rotating movement to thr target as it travels outwardly between said arms, eachof said arms being formed of yielding wire looped at the middle to provide two side bars for each arm, both ends of each loop being rigidly secured to the end of the handle.

6. A hand operated target throwing de vice comprising a handle, two target receiving arms projecting longitudinally therefrom at the outer end, said arms being shaped to hold a target flatwise and providing a relatively long track to guide the same outwardly in a plane substantially coinciding with the axis of the handle, with means to impart a rotating movement to the target as it travels outwardly between said arms, each of said arms being formed of yielding wire looped at the middle to provide two side bars for each arm, both ends of each loop being rigidly secured to the end of the handle, one of the bars of each arm being bent to permit a target to be inserted outwardly in a plane substantially coinciding with the axis of the handle, with means to impart a rotating movement to the target as it travels outwardly between said arms, said handle and arms being flexible.

8. In a hand target throwing device, a slightly flexible handle, a target holding device rigidly secured at the outer end thereof and comprising two relatively ielding arms of substantially greater length than the overall width of the target to be used therein, each .arm forming a relatively long track along which the target must travel to escape, parts of the arms beyond those parts wherein the target is initially placed being normally somewhat closer together to provide a relatively contracted passage, one of said arms being longer than the other.

9. In a hand target throwing device, a slightly flexible handle, a target holding device rigidly secured at the outer end thereof and comprising two relatively yieldingarms of substantially greater length than the overall width of th target to be used therein, each arm forming a relatively long track along which the target must travel to escape, parts of the arms beyond those parts wherein the target is initially placed being normally somewhat closer together to provide a relatively contracted passage, one of said arms being longer than the other, with means to cause one of said arms to offer greater resistance to the escape of the target than the other arm.

WILLARD B. DARTON. 

